How we find artwork is a bit of a mystery! Sometimes it's hidden in the dark hallways, bedrooms or attics and sometimes someone calls out of the blue and offers pictures. Garage sales, flea markets and estate sales are the usual. Never the less, how it jumps out and beckons me is another story. I had seen this piece awhile ago at an estate sale here in Los Angeles. Although it caught my eye right away, I had to circle back a few times and then sleep on it. It was still there on the last day of the sale! How could this be?
I had it reframed, changing the old matting and adding a textured linen that I thought, brought it back to the 1960s, when the the piece was originally conceived. I kept the frame, a little bit tattered yet perfect for the piece, all the tones are so in harmony.
The artist, Barbara Hardesty, was a housewife, probably a mother and a wanna be artist. The house had many pieces hanging about, literally. It was this one though, that I thought was particularly intriguing. Hardesty worked on her art continuously throughout her life while living in the Larchmont district of Los Angeles. I'm not sure why she didn't pursue shows and gallery life. I've met many artists that have done exactly that. It doesn't matter. What matters is the work itself, the feeling you have when you repeatedly study the piece.
It's large enough to enjoy in a dining room or kitchen but either way, it deserves the respect of a talented artist, even if she didn't ever reach critical aclaim.
